10 to Remember: Winter 2012-13
April 4, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This winter in Michigan will be remembered by some as lasting seemingly forever. But at least we had plenty to enjoy over the five weeks from the end of February through March.
Below are 10 stories from this winter's Finals that we're likely to recall for years to come. They aren't necessarily the 10 most exciting moments, but rather 10 stories of particular significance covering every sport the MHSAA sponsors during this mostly-indoor season.
A few that just missed the list: Livonia Stevenson winning that hockey town's first hockey title, St. Ignace's first perfect girls basketball finish, Flint Beecher's last-second success in the Class C Boys Basketball Final, East Grand Rapids' four-point win in Division 3 swimming and diving and the emergence of Troy's Christina Shabet as the MHSAA's top gymnast.
There are plenty of others we could mention as well. Feel free to post about them after checking out our 10.
Saline Seniors Leave Mark
One of the most impressive swimming and diving classes in MHSAA history finished its high school career March 9 in Holland the same way it began four seasons ago. Saline won its fourth-straight Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship anchored by seniors David Boland, Josh Ehrman, Michael Bundas and Adam Whitener, who combined hold four Division 1 Finals individual and two relay records. Ehrman finished his prep career with the all-class/division records in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke, and those four hold the all-class/division record in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:30.01 – good also for third in the national record book. Click to read more.
Fowlerville’s Coon Finishes with 4
Only 16 others had accomplished what Fowlerville’s Adam Coon achieved to finish his MHSAA wrestling career. And none had done so wrestling at the heaviest weights. On March 2 at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Coon became the 17th athlete to win four MHSAA wrestling individual titles by picking up his second at 285 pounds after also winning two at 215. He finished his career with a record of 211-3 and won 194 straight matches dating to his freshman season. Click to read more.
Comets Shine for 6th Consecutive Gymnastics Win
Despite graduating the Division 1 all-around champion (again) and facing a talented Canton team (again), Grand Ledge won the team title again – for the sixth-straight time, the longest streak in MHSAA gymnastics history. On March 8 at Canton High School, the Comets scored 149.350 points – fifth-most in MHSAA Finals history. What are the chances for seven in a row? They’ll have a strong start: junior Presley Allison won the Division 2 all-around title the next day, and freshman Rachel Hogan won the Division 1 floor competition. Click to read more.
Hudson Completes Drive for 5
The Tigers won three of the final four matches to edge Hesperia 32-24 in the Division 4 Team Wrestling Final on Feb. 23 at Kellogg Arena and earn their fifth-straight MHSAA title – tying the 2002-06 Davison teams for the longest such streak since the Team Finals began in 1988. Hudson was loaded with 11 Individual Finals qualifiers, including three who went on to win their weights the following weekend. Click to read more.
This Time, It’s Romulus’ Turn
Romulus advanced to Boys Basketball Finals weekend at Breslin Center for the fourth time in six seasons, and on March 23 left with its first MHSAA championship since 1986. The Eagles had just fallen short a number of times during the recent run, but controlled from the tip in downing Detroit Southeastern 61-49 to claim the Class A title. Romulus finished this season 27-1. Click to read more.
Grand Haven Wins Repeat Class A Final
Only a few things about Grand Haven were the same this season as in 2011-12, including one significant advantage – 6-foot-5 center Abby Cole. After putting up 23 points, 19 rebounds and 12 blocks in a Semifinal win over Westland John Glenn, she tallied 11 points, seven rebounds and eight blocks in a 60-54 overtime win over Grosse Pointe South on March 16 at the Breslin Center to give the Buccaneers two straight Class A title wins – both over the Blue Devils. Click to read more.
Puck Stops Here as Brighton Marches On
The Bulldogs claimed their second-straight Division 1 hockey championship March 9 at Compuware Arena with what has become a characteristic defensive stand, this time in a 2-1 win over 10-time champ Detroit Catholic Central. Brighton goalie James Milletics stopped 37 of 38 shots against him, and his team finished a 12-game winning streak during which it gave up only 12 goals total. Click to read more.
No Stopping Carlson’s Cheer Dynasty
All four MHSAA cheer champions March 2-3 at the Grand Rapids DeltaPlex were repeat winners from 2012, but Carlson faced an intriguing set of circumstances. Although coach Danielle Jokela basically had served as a co-coach with Christine Wilson through four titles over the previous five seasons, this was her first time leading the team solo with Wilson now coaching Brighton. And the Marauders pulled out a third-straight title despite losing all-stater Annie Hajec to an injury during the Regional the weekend before. Click to read more.
Trojans Skiers Second No Longer
Traverse City Central’s girls skiing team had finished MHSAA runner-up five straight seasons before hoisting its first championship trophy since 2005 on Feb. 25 at Boyne Mountain. The Trojans finished with 81 points, 11 better than runner-up Walled Lake Central. Shannon Weaver was the individual runner-up in both the slalom and giant slalom to lead the effort. Click to read more.
Vandercook Lake Wins Battle of Bowling Powers
After facing each other and splitting the last two Division 4 titles, it seemed fate that Vandercook Lake and Sandusky should meet again in the 10th year of the MHSAA tournament on March 1 at Sunnybrook Golf and Bowl. The teams were separated by only six pins with three frames to roll before Vandercook Lake pulled away for a 1,322-1,166 win. The Jayhawks' Malloree Ambs won the individual title the next day. Click to read more.
Oak Park Sprints to 4th-Straight Team Title Win, Zielinski Rebounds for Winning Finish
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
May 30, 2026
ROCKFORD – It would have been the perfect time for Lorelai Zielinski to toss her cards on the table and walk away.
After suffering a crushing disqualification Saturday in the discus, a disastrous development that ensured she wouldn't repeat her dream of defending her Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals title in that event as well as the shot put, Zielinski could have called it a season.
Instead, the Traverse City Central junior mentally gathered herself by taking several slow walks around the shot put area, listening to some music and generally clearing her head.
"Just tried to keep calm in the moment," she said. "I didn't dwell on what was done."
So instead of falling off a mental cliff, Zielinski went out and captured the shot put with a toss of 48-6¼, two feet farther than the rest of the field.
"I had worked so hard to get better," she said. "But it was a mental battle. I just had to compose myself and get ready for the shot."
While Zielinski had to overcome her mental roadblocks, the Oak Park girls had to overcome their own adversity as well – but employed the same formula they used to win the last three Division 1 titles and claim their 10th over the last 12 years: power in the sprints.
Oak Park finished with 61 points to 48 for runner-up Detroit Cass Tech and 28.5 for third-place East Kentwood. West Bloomfield was fourth with 28. The Knights took firsts in the 1,600 and 800 relays, seconds in the 400 relay, open 100 and 400, a third in the 300 hurdles and a fourth in the 200.
Put it all together and it was business as usual for the team, coach Brandon Jiles said.
"Today was a little tough because we had battles with Cass Tech and East Kentwood," he said. "We had a few tough breaks, but when bad things happen you pick yourself up. The result is you deal with adversity."
Because the team has only two seniors, Jiles said Oak Park had to rely on a handful of younger athletes who were mainstays on the 2025 championship team, including junior Nevaeh Burns, who while not winning the 400 for a third straight time did post one of team's highest individual finishes with a second in the race. Teammate Aubrey Douglas was second in the 100.
"We had to spread things out," Jiles said. "Even though we were the favorite, we knew it would be tough. We do have a lot of experience from last year, but it's always tough to see what a young team will do. Twice we've gone for four in a row and didn't do it. This year we did."
Senior Kamryn Tatum of West Bloomfield won the 100 (11.74) while finishing second behind Malise Brown of Detroit Cass Tech in the 200 (23.13). Brown's time was an all-Finals record and sixth-best in the country this spring.
Tatum said she actually prefers running the longer 200-meter dash over the 100. She entered Saturday as a three-time Finals champ in the 200 while also winning the 100 a year ago.
"I hate the 100," Tatum said. "You have to get out strong to win the 100 because it's shorter. But I do what I do, and it's nice to win. My sophomore year was hard because I was injured, but now I was pretty much healthy."
East Lansing freshman Cayla Hawkins pulled one of the biggest upsets at the meet when she edged Oak Park's Burns in the 400. Hawkins had a 52.89 to creep past Burns' mark of 53.63.
"I know her from AAU," Hawkins said of Burns. "I was kind of shocked with myself, but I really pushed for this. I've had my days this year, kind of in and out. We call it "deep water," which means we save some of the hardest workouts for leading up to the state meet so we know what our bodies are capable of."
Richland Gull Lake junior Lane Isom won the 800 (2:11.06) after finishing just ninth a year ago. She was the best of a strong field which featured seven runners separated by less than three seconds. Isom had run a 2:09 a week ago.
"I knew I could run a fast time," she said. "It just depended on what would happen. I just went out and tried to do my best."
Grand Ledge's Katie Blue was a two-time champion in events with little in common. The Comet senior won the pole vault (14-0) as well as the 300 hurdles (43.14). The pole vault was an all-Finals record after her previous best was a 13-10 two weeks ago.
"My main goal was to go 14-feet," said Blue, who missed on her first attempt at three heights. "It just depends on the person. If you're mentally strong, you can bounce back from that. You can't let it get in your head because that just makes the next two or three attempts harder."
Other individual champs were Natasza Dudek in the 3,200 (10:15.25), Elliana Neuer of Hartland in the 1,600 (4:51.73), Kyleigh Peacock of Troy in the long jump (19-1), Olivia Latunski of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (138-2) in the discus, Detroit Cass Tech's Laila Hawkins in the 100 hurdles (14.15) and Alannah Love of Lansing Waverly in the high jump (5-0).
West Bloomfield won the 400 relay (46.88) and Ann Arbor Skyline took the 3,200 (9:05.75). Clarkston’s Allison Thurman (100, 400) and Fenton’s Molly Katic (200) finished first in adaptive events.
PHOTOS (Top) Oak Park's Nevaeh Burns bursts forward after taking a handoff during for her team's winning 1,600 relay Saturday. (Middle) Detroit Cass Tech's Malise Brown, middle, crosses the finish line in record time in the 100. (Click for more from John Brabbs, Carter Sherline and Jamie McNinch/RunMichigan.com.)